Combined smelting and refining furnace.



No. 788,546. PATENTEID MAY 2, 1905.

o. 0. MEDBERY. COMBINED SMELTING AND REIEINING, FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1904:.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

C. G. MEDBERY. COMBINED SMELTING AND REFINING FURNACE.

APPLICATION nun MAY 2. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Miran STATES Patented May 2, 1905;

CHAUNCEY C. MEDBERY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED SMELTING AND REFINING FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,546, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed May 2, 190 Serial No. 205,893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 'I, GHAUNOEY C. MED- BERY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented Improvements in a Combined Smelting and Refining Furnace, of which the following is a specification.

The improvements in furnaces forming the subject of this invention contemplate such novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that smelting and refining processes may be more economically carried out than is now possible with existing furnaces.

The invention consists in constructing and operating a heating-chamber that it may be rotated and set in dilferent angular positions, whereby it is adapted for use in all smelting, reducing, and refining processes and also for a continuing refinement of an ore or other material after it is properly smelted in the furnace.

This new furnace comprises aheating-chamber, preferably in the form of a cylindrical shell, provided with a suitable refractory lining and supported and controlled by antifriction-rollers, means for tilting it to facilitate charging and pouring and for adapting the heating-chamber to be used as a converter and for reducing and refining operations, means for rotating the heating-chamber, air blast and fi1el-sup 1)lying pipes and devices, and other features whereby the furnace may be properly and easily handled, all of which will now be fully described by reference had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a furnace enibodying my improvement, showing the end to which the fuel-supplying device is attached, with the air-pipe partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking toward the righthand side of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is also a side elevation looking toward the left hand side of I the furnace, showing the heating-chamber partly in section; and Fig. l is an end elevation the reverse of Fig. 1, showing the heating-chamber partly in section.

The heating-chamber a, formed of a cylindrical shell and end pieces connected together in suitable manner, is lined with a refractory material 7), which covers all the interior parts subjected to heat, and it is supported by two sets of rollers c c, on which rest two railrings 0 c, secured to the cylindrical body (0. These rollers 12 0 have bearings in the saddleframe (Z, which includes or is provided with longitudinally arranged girders (2, having their ends formed or provided with right-angular extensions, in which are seated the end guide and su 'iporting-rollers e (.2, arranged to bear against the circular seats a, formed on the ends of the cylindrical shell a, said rollers e e acting as end stops for the cylinder and as supports for the same when the furnace is tilted or moved out of horizontal position. The saddle-frame (Z is provided with trunnions f f, arranged on an axis extending laterally centrally through the cylindrical heating-chamber a, said trunnions ff having their hearings in the upper ends of the standard-supports The means here shown as suitable for controlling the saddle-frame (Z, whereby the furnace may be axially set in horizontal and angular positions and firmly held in any of its set positions, consist of a \vorm wheel 72 secured to one of the trunnions f, in which meshes a worm it, secured to a short shaft having bearings in the standard g and one end of which is, through a pair of miter-wheels 'i, placed in connection with the hand or pilot wheel 17, the shaft of whiehis parallel to the axis of the trunnions f, and on said shaft one of the miter-wheels is secured.

The means here adopted :for rotating the cylindrical heating-chamber r1 comprises a ring worm-gear j, centrally secured to the periphcry of the cylinder between the two supporting rail-rings c c, a worm f, meshing in the worm-wheel j, the shaftof which is supported in bearings formed therefor in the central part of the saddle-frame (Z, a miter-wheel l: on the shaft of the worm another miter or bevel wheel, Z1, arranged to gear with the wheel in, and to this wheel Zr is connected the driving means by which the cylindrical heating-chamber may be rotated. It is required in the use of this furnace that the cylinder be rotated in the different positions at which it may be set in carrying out the objects for which the furnace is designed, and toenable this to be properly performed a flexible shaft 1 joins the miter-wheel A to a source of power at some suitable fixed point. This is shown being located at the upper part of one of the standards 9, where the other end of the flexible shaft Z is connected to the shaft of one of a pair of miter-wheels, m, the other one of which is secured to the top of a vertical shaft m, having hearings in the standard, the lower end of which reaches to near the lower end of the standard and is there provided with one of another pair of miter-wheels, n, the other one of which is carried by a horizontal shaft 12/, to which power is applied to rotate the cylindrical furnace a.

The power transmitting and controlling gears may, it will be understood, to meet the requirements of the work to be done be other than miter-wheels as shown in the drawings. Any suitable power-transmitters of any desired ratio of parts may be substituted for them.

One end of the cylindrical heating-chamber is provided with a muffler-door 0, having a central opening 0 of considerably less area than that of the openingwhich the door partly closes, and at this end of the cylinder is also formed the tapping-hole p for the discharge of slag and molten metal from the cylinder, said hole being plugged when the furnace is in use in manner common in the use of blast and other furnaces.

The pipe g, which supplies air under pressure to the furnace, is arranged to have its exit at the center of the other end of the cylinder (4, its end being covered by a grating or perforated plate 9, and it is held on the end of the cylinder by aslip-jointr, whereby the cylinder is free to be rotated and the pipe held stationary. This pipe q extends along the head and down the side of the cylinder to one of the trunnions f. to which a bend of the pipe (1 is rigidly secured, so that the pipe is caused to rock with the saddle-frame (Z, and just beyond the end of and concentric with the trunnions is a slip-joint r, from whence the pipe extends to the source of air-supply, it being shown with a downward extension in which is placed a valve s for regulating and controlling the air supplied to the furnace.

The fuel-supply pipe 25 is arranged alongside of the air-pipe q, with its nozzle or burner t entered in the end of the air-pipe in about line with the axis of the cylinder and is provided with a regulating-valve it, as shown at Fig. 3. This pipe 6 is also provided with a slip-joint c in line with the axis of the trunnionf, and beyond this point it is provided with a cut-off valve it. This illustrates the general arrangement of aburner suitable for use with a liquid or gaseous fuel. Any other style or form of burner adapted to supply other fuels, as powdered carbon in combination with air under pressure, may be used.

The charge of ore or other material to be treated is passed into the cylindrical heatingchamber through the opening in its end and the furnace may be tilted to facilitate such charging operation. If it is a smelting propo sition, the cylinder is set in horizontal position, the air-blast and the fuel-supply turned on, and the cylinder continuously rotated through the medium of the gearing and the flexible shaft Z provided for this purpose, the door 0 being closed, so as to muffle the fire, the opening 0 then forming the only outlet for the products of combustion. The whole interior of the furnace becomes highly heated, and as all parts and particles of the ore 0r material is by the rotation of the furnace subjected to the fire and a uniform heat and also to a continuously-heated hearth the entire mass is rapidly and substantially simultaneously brought to a fluid condition. The molten metal or the slag may first be drawn from the tapping-hole, as desired, the furnace being set at suitable angles to facilitate such discharges. If theore be of such a character that the whole or part of the melted product requires reducing or refining, then without removal from the furnace it may be thoroughly and quickly treated. To carry out this process, the cylindrical furnace is set in inclined position, as indicated at Fig. 3, the door 0 having been removed and the fuelsupply cut off. The air-blast now under suitable pressure blows through the upper layer of the molten mass, which being continually changed by reason of the rotation of the cylinder the whole mass is quickly and thoroughly refined by use of air under much less pressure than is required in the ordinary converters and refining-furnaces. Such top slag as may be in the furnace will, it will be understood, be poured oflf before the reducing or refining process is commenced. Should the ore under treatment have a constituent metal that would be volatilized, the fumes from the furnace may be caused to pass from the opening in the end of the cylinder into a collecting or depositing chamber.

It is apparent from the foregoing description and an examination of the drawings that this furnace being complete in itself is portable and adapted to be readily put to use, is easily manipulated, and requires no special skilled labor in its operation.

I have here described briefly improved processes for smelting and refining ores. These processes will be elaborated and form the subject of another application for Letters Patent.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a heating-chamber. of means for rotating, means for setting it in different angular positions, a fuel-supplying device connected to one end of the chamber,

movable therewith and adapted to supply fuel 2. The combination with a heating-chamber, of means for rotating, means for setting it in different angular positions, a fuel-supplying device connected to one end of the chamber, movable therewith and adapted to supply fuel to the chamber in all of its angular positions and while it is rotated; an opening at the other end of the cylinder, and a m ulfler-door for closing said opening.

3. The combination with a heating-chamber, of means for rotating, means for setting it in different angular positions, an air-pipe connected to one end of the heating-chamber by means of a rotary slip-joint; and a fuel-supply nozzle located in the discharge end of the air-pipe; said air-pipe and fuel-supply nozzles maintaining fixed relation with said chamber in all positions in which it may be set.

4. The combination with a heating-chamber provided with a fuel-supplying device comprising compressed air and fuel nozzles connected to one of its ends and having an opening at its other end for the escape of the proclucts of combustion; of a frame provided with trunnions and in which the chamber is longitudinally rotatably supported; a slip-joint between the fuel device and the end of the chamber; means for rocking the frame; and slipjoints in, line with the axis of the trunnions connecting the fuel-supply device with the sources of air and fuel supplies.

5. The combination with a heating-chamber, of a saddle-frame provided with trunnions and having end guiding and supporting rollers between which the heating-chamber is held and adapted to be rotated; standard-supports in which the trunnions have their bearings; controlling-gear connected to one of the trunnions and by which the heating-chamber may be tilted; a fuel-supply device comprising compressed air and fuel nozzles arranged to supply fuel to the chamber at one end thereof; and slip-joints in line with the axis of the trunnions connecting the fuel-supply device with the sources of air and fuel supplies.

6. The combination with a heating-chamber, of a saddle-frame provided with trunnions and in which the heating-chamber is held; stand ard-surmorts in which the trunnions have their bearings; controlling-gear connected to one of the trunnions and by which the heatingchamber may be tilted; an air-supply pipe entering one end of the chamber, a fuel-pipe with its nozzle located in the discharge end of the air-pipe; a rotating slip-joint connec tion between the air-pipe and the end of the chamber; and a cut-off cock in the fuel-pipe.

7. The combination with a heating-chamber provided with circular supporting-rails, of a saddle frame having rollers on which the chamber supporting rails rest; means for rocking the saddle-frame; means for rotating the chamber in the saddle-frame; and rollers carried by the saddle-frame and arranged to bear against the ends of and support the heating-chamber when the saddle-frame is inclined.

8. The combination with a heating-chamber provided with circular supporting-rails, of a saddle frame having rollers on which the chamber supporting rails rest; means for rocking the saddle-frame; means for rotating the chamber in the saddle-frame; rollers carried by the saddle-frame and arranged to bear against the ends of and support the heating chamber when the saddle-frame is inclined; a fuel-supplying device having its discharge in one end of the heating-chamber into its interior; and a muffler-door and tapping-hole at the other end of the chamber.

9. The combination with a heating-chamber provided with circular supporting-rails, of a saddle frame having rollers on which the chamber-supporting rails rest, and rollers arranged to bear against the ends of and longitudinall y control the chamber; means for rocking the saddle-frame; a flexible shaft driven from a stationary source of power; a small gear in communication with the flexible shaft; and a large ring gear secured to the heatingchamber driven by the'small gear.

10. The combination with a heating-chamber provided with two circular supportingrails, of a saddle frame having rollers on which the chamber supporting rails rest; means for rocking the saddle-frame; a ring worm-gear secured to the chamber between the supporting-rails; a worm working in the worm-gear and having hearings in the saddle-frame; a fixed located power-driven shaft; and a flexible shaft between this fixed powerdriven shaft and the worm.

11. The combination with a heating-chamber provided with circular supporting-rails, of a saddle frame having rollers on which the chamber supporting rails rest; means for rocking the saddle-frame; a flexible shaft driven from a stationary source of power; a small gear in communication with a flexible shaft; a large ring gear secured to the heating-chamber driven by the small gear; a fuelsupplying devieehaving its discharge through one end of the chamber into its interior; and a muflie-door and a tapping-hole at the other end of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of April, 1904.

Cl- AUNGEY (J. MEDBERY.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR 0. BMW, FLORA CoRD'rs. 

